Issue #340 – December 7, 2020
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(Items marked with a * are new or updated items)
NACC
1. Executive Director’s Reflection
2. Welcome to our new NACC members who joined us in November!
3. Plans for our 2021 Education/Formation Theme, “Stretched by Life; Lifted by Faith”
4. Thank you to those of you who have already given to our 2020 Annual Member Campaign! Please join them!
5. Deaths of former NACC members
6. Congratulations to the following NACC members who were approved for Chaplain Board Certification following their interviews in October 2020.
7. In Vision: How to celebrate the New Year at a safe distance – and other COVID rituals
8. Still looking for contributors to Vision theme: Mental well-being in the time of COVID
9. NACC Networking Calls for December 2020 – All are welcome to participate!
10. Do you need a Listening Heart?
11. “Sharing of Feelings for Chaplains in the Field”
12. Healing Tree: a request for prayers
2021 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, OCTOBER 29 – NOVEMBER 1, 2021
13. Friday, October 29, to Monday, November 1, 2021, for NACC National Conference!
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
14. Don’t forget to check the NACC Anti-Racism page for resources!
15. Don’t forget to check the NACC Coronavirus page for resources!
16. POSTPONED: The final 2020 NACC webinar scheduled for this coming Thursday, December 10, 2020.
17. Two more December offerings by the Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition!
18. Your participant requested: Research study about administering Sacraments
19. Recent job postings
1. Executive Director’s Reflection
Forgive in advance my musings here. The last line of yesterday’s first reading from Isaiah, 40:11,
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom,
and leading the ewes with care.
brought back a memory of a religious sister’s final days. She was a scripture scholar in her life, a woman of deep faith and gentleness, of a distilled sophistication and humility. It was an honor to have known her and be in her presence. In the final days of her life, I was privileged to accompany her. When visiting her in the infirmary, she invited me just to sit with her and often just sing softly the refrain of the St. Louis Jesuit’s Bob Dufford, “Like a Shepherd He Feeds His Flock,” catholichymn.blogspot.com/2015/12/like-a-shepherd.html. I recall the tears in her eyes (and mine) as we sung in almost a whisper tone the words, “holding them carefully close to his heart, leading them home.” Hers was a very peaceful passing. At her funeral that song was sung to its full.
What struck me then, and stays with me now, is the power of one verse of scripture to carry us along and carry us home. Here was a scripture scholar who knew in detail the formgeschichte and historical context of every verse and book. Yet, this isolated verse, Isaiah 40:11, was the one that carried her in those final days and into the arms of God. It reminds me so often of God’s presence and invitation in the simplest of ways!
It reminded me again of that powerful line from Ettie Hillesum’s An Interrupted Life, where she wrote:
In this Advent season, what will it take for me to be taken again by our loving God? What does it take for me to be taken by the urgent timelessness the message of the second reading from 2 Peter 3:8 “ Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like one day.”
While the words of John the Baptist (Mk 1:3)“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths,” carry a certain tone of “wake up and shape up,” it’s the memory of my religious sister’s gentle holding to the one verse and letting it seep deep into her soul and spirit that captures the call of this season. What is the “small line of verse from time to time” (in Ettie’s word) that I need to whisper into the night believing deeply that my (our) God is already near and dear, calling me to a deeper love, preparing me for the timeless loving these days and final days of my life?
So what verse stays mantra-like on your lips this Advent?
David Lichter, D.Min.
Executive Director
2. Welcome to our new NACC members who joined us in November!
Please join us in welcoming our new members who joined NACC in November! Welcome!
Full
Rev. James G. Livingston (Farmington, MI)
Miss Lisa J. Nollette (Fullerton, CA)
Mr. Jose J. Perez (Chicago, IL)
Rev. Zbigniew A. Wsul (Franklin, WI)
Student
Mrs. Therese J. Borchard (Annapolis, MD)
Ms. Pamela A. Cullen (So. Milwaukee, WI)
Mr. Jeffrey M. Kendall (Southfield, MI)
Ms. Lisa K. Mueller (Tomah, WI)
Ministry Volunteer
Mr. John A. McIntyre (Orland Hills, IL)
Mr. Charles W. Wasserott IV (Pipersville, PA)
Education Institution
Catholic Theological Union (Chicago, IL)
3. Plans for our 2021 Education/Formation Theme, “Stretched by Life; Lifted by Faith”
Over the past weeks, representatives from our Board, Committees, Commissions, and Panels have been meeting to discuss and plan how we will approach 2021 from the perspective of our need for both professional and personal development. The theme for 2021 will be “Stretched by Life; Lifted by Faith.” We will begin our year this Advent, on Thursday, December 17, 6:00 pm Central, and Friday, December 18, 12:00 pm central. Hold those dates! NACC members should receive a special invite today!
4. Thank you to those of you who have already given to our 2020 Annual Member Campaign! Please join them!
We are deeply grateful to all those who have been able so far to give to the 2020 Annual Member campaign! To date, we have received 446 gifts totaling $53,692.10. We are just $3,308 shy of our $57,000 2020 Goal. If you are able to join your fellow members in giving, that’s wonderful. If not, we understand and appreciate your prayers for a successful Campaign.
Please note: You can also make your donation online RIGHT NOW by going to the Annual Campaign webpage (www.nacc.org/donate) or just click here to donate.
Please give as you can! Blessings!
5. Deaths of former NACC members
We recently learned of the death of two NACC members:
- Sister Killian Fitzgerald CCVI, BCC, died August 20, 2020. She joined NACC and was certified in 1979, and became an Emeritus member in 2000. May she rest in the heart of our loving God. Learn more about her at:
www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/bellaire-tx/sister-kilian-fitzgerald-9319448 - Sr. Margaret (Peggy) Nau, SP, BCC, died November 10, 2020. She joined NACC in 1992 and was certified in 1996. May she rest in the heart of our loving God. Learn more about her at: spsmw.org/2020/11/10/sister-margaret-nau-formerly-sister-jude-ann/ and
spsmw.org/sister-profile/margaret-nau.
6. Congratulations to the following NACC members who were approved for Chaplain Board Certification following their interviews in October 2020.
The NACC Certification Commission recently approved these NACC chaplains for Board Certification. Congratulations to our new BCC’s!
Rev. Alexander Agbata BCC (Signal Mountain, TN)
Ms. Julie Berggren BCC (Wilmette, IL)
Dr. Kevin Caspersen BCC (Indianapolis, IN)
Dr. Ann Christensen BCC (Tucson, AZ)
Mrs. Nannette Coons BCC (Magnolia, TX)
Rev. Onyekachi Duru CMF, BCC (Levittown, NY)
Rev. Sampson Etim MSP, BCC (Parkville, MD)
Mr. Matthew Etzkorn BCC (Delphos, OH)
Mr. Richard Fisher BCC (Morton, IL)
Mrs. Meiji Gesulga BCC (Adelanto, CA)
Rev. Leonard Gicheru BCC (Kansas City, MO)
Mrs. Mary Hahn BCC (Bloomingdale, IL)
Ms. Mary Harrington BCC (Topsham, ME)
Ms. Judith Hvisc BCC (Cockeysville, MD)
Rev. Robert Irwin BCC (Boise, ID)
Mr. Brendan Keenan BCC (Arvada, CO)
Ms. Mary Beth Kirven BCC (Denver, CO)
Rev. Johnson Kuriappilly BCC (Paris, ON)
Mrs. Mary Marks BCC (Grand Rapids, MI)
Sr. Kochurani Mathew MSMI, BCC (San Antonio, TX)
Ms. Christina Mayer BCC (Chicago, IL)
Mr. Pedro Mendez BCC (Evansville, IN)
Rev. Brent Nall BCC (Sacramento, CA)
Rev. Jude Nwaigwa BCC (Indianapolis, IN)
Rev. Ignatius Nwankwocha BCC (Atlanta, TX)
Rev. Patrick Nwokeogu BCC (Indianapolis, IN)
Sr. Pauline Obasi DMMM, BCC (New York, NY)
Rev. Gabriel Okafor BCC (Denver, CO)
Rev. Christopher Onuoha BCC (Omaha, NE)
Mrs. Gilda Philibert BCC (Farmingdale, NY)
Deacon Jacques Philippeaux BCC (Baldwin, NY)
Ms. Francine Rich BCC (Bay Shore, NY)
Mr. Marshall Schmidt BCC (Baltimore, MD)
Mr. Christian Spencer BCC (Mount Angel, OR)
Rev. Cornelius Ssekitto AJ, BCC (Portland, OR)
Rev. James Thoyalil VC, BCC (Jacksonville, FL)
Dr. J. Bethany Turner BCC (Lakeside, CA)
Rev. Matthew Udobi BCC (New York, NY)
7. In Vision: How to celebrate the New Year at a safe distance – and other COVID rituals
How will your workplace celebrate the end of 2020 under COVID restrictions? Mary Davis has some ideas — and also thoughts to share about CPE retreats, baby showers, and other events that can still be meaningful even if participants aren’t all in the same room. To read more of our latest Vision article, click below. (And then scroll down for Anne Millington’s thoughts about the gift of “one day at a time.”) https://www.nacc.org/nacc-blog/
8. Still looking for contributors to Vision theme: Mental well-being in the time of COVID
We are currently addressing a new theme that focuses on articles about mental well-being in the time of COVID. If you have thoughts about how to maintain balance, how to find hope (if not joy) in the current moment, how to recognize and tend those feelings in others, how those needs intersect with race and equity, or other related topics — we want to hear from you. Please send a summary of your idea to Vision editor David Lewellen, dlewellen@nacc.org.
9. NACC Networking Calls for December 2020 – All are welcome to participate!
NACC is offering this Networking calls in December:
Tuesday, December 8, 2020; 10 a.m. CT Ministry Volunteer Networking Call
Wednesday, December 9, 2020; 12 p.m. CT Palliative/Hospice Networking Call
To sign up or for more information, questions, comments or concerns contact Ramune Franitza at rfranitza@nacc.org.
You must reply to participate and receive the ZOOM code for the call. If you replied, we will forward ZOOM passcodes for a video connection via internet or you may still call in using your phone. Registering for the call, even if you cannot participate, will allow you to receive notes of the conversation and resources shared.
Calls with less than 5 participants may be postponed.
Due to ZOOM Security requirements, you may be placed in a waiting room. Do not disconnect. Please be patient until the host joins the call and allows you access. If you have difficulty in joining calls using ZOOM please let Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) know so that we can address the difficulty. THANK YOU!
For more resources and blog updates, be sure to read the latest update on our Coronavirus resources page.
10. Do you need a Listening Heart?
We recognize that these are unusual and uncertain times. You are being stretched in new ways and faced with challenging choices. We have a resource called, “Listening Hearts,” to provide you one on one support.
Listening Hearts is available for NACC members seeking a listening presence from a NACC retired chaplain colleague. You may be experiencing and feeling the cumulative impact of the present global Pandemic. For those providing support for others and navigating the new normal without the opportunity to gather with extended family/friends, visit a favorite restaurant or workout at the gym, we invite you to share the load by reaching out for a listening heart of an experienced and compassionate retired chaplain. Please contact Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) if you would like to speak with a Listening Heart.
11. “Sharing of Feelings for Chaplains in the Field”
Would you like to meet with other chaplains to process your experience during these times?
“Sharing of Feelings for Chaplains in the Field” will be a 50-minute bi-weekly group ZOOM session offering an opportunity for our members to express personal feelings and stresses related to ministry in this era of dramatic health care crisis.
Guidelines:
- Minimum number of 3 and maximum of 6 persons in each group.
- Open group – must register through NACC and can participate in one or many sessions.
- Group members are expected to stay with the 50-minute session once it has started.
- Commitment to strictest confidentiality,
- Free expression of feelings, with acceptance, support and understanding from each group member to be facilitated by an experienced retired chaplain.
- There will be no notes or recordings.
- More groups available, if more than 6 people apply.
We invite you to be a part of this intimate sharing group. Please contact Ramune Franitza (rfranitza@nacc.org) to express your interest and to set up a mutually convenient time for these sessions.
12. Healing Tree: a request for prayers
We continue to pray for: the special intentions of Maritza Ramos-Pratt BCC, Sr. Mary A. DuPlain SJSM, Susan Balling, Isabelita Boquiren, Fr. Jim Radde SJ, Denice Foose, Fr. Jose Hernandez, Barbara McKee, Mary Lou O’Gorman, Sr. Ellen Moore, Liam O’Neill (brother of Mary T O’Neill), Sr. Emily Demuth CSC (on the death of her sister Patricia), Sr. Betty Keegan (on the death of her brother Joe Keegan), Sr. Mary Brigid Riley and her family (on the death of her brother John Riley), Autumn Vaughn (great-niece of member Linda Bronersky), and Nolan (grandson of Br. Dale Recinella, in gratitude for healing).
Please let us know if you would like our membership to pray for your health and healing. We will leave the person’s name on the Healing Tree list for three months unless you ask us to remove your or the person’s name earlier. You can always request us to leave the name on longer.
2021 NATIONAL CONFERENCE, OCTOBER 29 – NOVEMBER 1, 2021
13. Friday, October 29, to Monday, November 1, 2021, for NACC National Conference!
Mark your calendars for the NACC Conference in 2021! This conference will be held Friday, October 29 through Monday, November 1, 2021, at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo Hotel in Buffalo, NY. It will be preceded by preconference workshops and our NACC retreat. Plan to join us!
CHAPLAINCY NEWS, EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL SUPPORTS
14. Don’t forget to check the NACC Anti-Racism page for resources!
Please continue to check our NACC Anti-Racism page for resources.
www.nacc.org/resources/antiracism-resources
15. Don’t forget to check the NACC Coronavirus page for resources!
Please continue to check our NACC Coronavirus page for resources.
www.nacc.org/resources/coronavirus-resources.
16. POSTPONED: The final 2020 NACC webinar scheduled for this coming Thursday, December 10, 2020
The webinar, Serving At-Risk Adolescents, presented by Alan J. Schmitt, MA, BCC, originally scheduled for 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time on December 10, NEEDED TO BE POSTPONED DUE TO THE PRESENTER’S PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. WE WILL ALERT REGISTRANTS WHEN A NEW DATE HAS BEEN CHOSEN.
17. Two more December offerings by the Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition!
As you know, last May the NACC became the Fiscal Sponsor of the Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition (CPMC) www.nacc.org/cpmc. To learn more about the CPMC go to www.catholicprisonministries.org. Monthly they offer several professional development and networking opportunities. Please participate as you can, and please pass on this information to anyone you know serves the populations affected by incarceration. You can view all the offerings on the CPMC homepage including these December offerings:
- CPMC Town Hall, Thursday, December 10, 2020, 12:00-1:00 pm central, Juvenile Detention Ministry
https://nationalcatholicwiassoc.wliinc32.com/events/CPMC-Town-Hall-Juvenile-Detention-Ministry-12-10–209/details - CPMC Town Hall, Thursday, December 17, 2020, 12:00-1:00 pm central, Reentry Ministers: Ministry to Returning Citizens. https://nationalcatholicwiassoc.wliinc32.com/events/CPMC-Town-Hall-Ministering-to-Returning-Citizens-Dec-17–193/details
18. Your participant requested: Research study about administering Sacraments
James H. Bunch, a post-graduate student at Regent University, is conducting a research study to examine Catholic Chaplains and non-Catholic Chaplains administering Sacraments. This project is a part of the dissertation requirement for the completion of his Doctoral Degree.
The purpose of this research is not to negate religious traditions nor undermine religious authority, but rather to explore resolves to maneuvering through religious and spiritual diversity when trying to care for the Sacramental needs of those represented. The questionnaire will focus only on three Sacraments: Baptism, Eucharist, and Anointing of the Sick. This online survey consist of multiple-choice questions with space to share personal comments and personal experiences that may be helpful to this study. Completing the survey should take approximately 15-20 minutes. There is also the options to not answer any questions you choose and to discontinue participation at any time.
The results of the survey will be written in the dissertation, and careful attention will be taken to ensure the anonymity of the shared data. An option to provide an e-mail is at the end of the survey, should you agree to be considered to examine these issues in greater depths if further research opportunities for this project and subject matter arise. By providing your e-mail address, you will no longer be completely anonymous; however, analyzing and recording your responses will remain confidential and anonymous. I alone will have access to your e-mail address, which will only be used to select participants to continue with this study. If the research continues and you are invited to participate, you are not obligated and have total freedom to decide at any time whether you want to take part.
As a reminder, participation is voluntary, risks are minimal, the collected data will remain confidential, and the reported data will maintain anonymity so your identities will not be known or connected to any published responses. Your uncoerced willingness to participate in this survey will serve as your consent as well as your understanding of the objectives, goals, and risks connected to your participation. Thank you for considering.
Please choose the appropriate questionnaire/survey:
Catholic Chaplains choose this Survey: https://s.surveyplanet.com/gbdYwiPZu
Non-Catholic Chaplains choose this Survey: https://s.surveyplanet.com/OCcnFFwnP
If there are any questions, please contact:
James H. Bunch, D.Min., BCC
jamebun@mail.regent.edu
Researcher
Mark A. Jumper, PhD, Associate Professor
mjumper@regent.eduDissertation Committee Chair
19. Recent job postings
The following positions have been posted recently on our Positions Available page.
For more information go to www.nacc.org/resources/positions
SPIRITUAL CARE SERVICES MANAGER
St. Louis, MO – Barnes-Jewish Hospital
RESIDENTIAL LIFE ASSISTANT
Rochester, MN – Assisi Heights
DIRECTOR, SPIRITUAL CARE
Camp Hill, PA – Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center
SPIRITUAL CARE MINISTER (two openings)
Green Bay, WI and Eau Claire, WI – HSHS St. Vincent’s Hospital and Sacred Heart Hospital
ASSOCIATE CHAPLAIN
Indianapolis, IN – Franciscan Health
